Arts & Events: November 2009 Archives

Weekend Edition We're very much looking forward to Sunday's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" season finale. The "Seinfeld" reunion has been played perfectly - not overemphasized and very realistically positioned for the best comedic effect. A comedian on the circuit told me that "Curb" wasn't funny, and he's right that it's not funny in a stand-up comedy kind of way but it's sure as hell funny...

In 2001 The Appleseed Cast found themselves in a sticky situation in Germany. Their booking agent had told some promoters at a record store that the band would do an acoustic set. Lead singer, Chris Crisci explains, "Prior even going over to Europe we had had this discussion with our agent. He wanted us to do an acoustic show. We said no. He asked again. We said no. So we get to this record store in Germany, and they were like "So you're playing this acoustic thing?" I was so pissed. How much more clear could we be? But it turns out that people really liked what we were playing." Crisci decided to try out some of the new material he had been writing on the side, and it went really well. So well, he decided to form his own folk side project, Old Canes.

A Noise Within is hosting White Russians and Discussions tonight following the 8 pm performance of a new adaptation of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment. The Russian-themed reception features guest speaker Ed Bacon, Rector for All Saints Church in Pasadena, who will discuss the story of Lazarus, and the ways in which its tale of rebirth intersects with the central figure in the play. Tickets: $44.

Tonight, as always, local multi-instrumentalist/producer extraordinaire Jon Brion (LAist Interview, #2, Review) will be jamming with friends at the Largo at the Coronet. Maine-bred folk singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne is taking on a three-night stint at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown with LAist favorite, Rock Island-based alternative country singer-songwriter Lissie. And, lastly, Austin/Brooklyn-bred electro pop duo Neon Indian will be gracing the Echoplex with none other than Northampton's own electro-infused indie rock act Tigercity. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Bootleg Theater to catch San Diegan rockers Delta Spirit (LAist Interview), who will be performing as a part of When You Awake's Neil Young Tribute. LAist favorites, Jason Simon of psych rock outfit Dead Meadow, indie pop outfit the Parson Red Heads (LAist Review, #2, #3), alt-country songstress Leslie Stevens of Leslie and the Badgers, folk troubadour Ferraby Lionheart (LAist Interview, Review) and many other talented local artists will be chiming in to celebrate the music of Neil Young, of course, but also to support the Children’s Music Fund.

Other big (and colder) cities get ice rinks, so what's there to stop us? Great weather might be one factor, but it hasn't stopped the likes of the cities of Santa Monica and Los Angeles.

Here's a little something something for people (like this LAist poster) heading for the Swell Season concert at the Wiltern tonight. Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) asked for songwriting advice from the band, and Markéta Irglová told him to "write a song from the heart" and "include as much personal information as you can." Here's the result, which he performed at last night's show.

We've reached Thursday which means it's comedy night topped by "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" on FX at 10pm providing some insight into how Dennis manages to score with so many women. We also had a chance to see the "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" Holiday special, "A Very Sunny Christmas": a 43 minute featurette that's been getting a lot of promo on FX the last couple weeks. If you're a fan, you have to get a hold of it, no question there, it's on DVD & Blu-ray at Amazon. What do you get: Danny DeVito nude and greased up; a supporting role from veteran actor David Huddleston; brilliant casting of "young" Mac, Charlie, Dennis, and Dee (they appear to have used cloning!); classic animation in the style of Rankin/Bass; a disturbing and surreal Christmas sing-a-long with the gang from Paddy's.

Okay, it's time to stop munching on that mac and cheese. On the heels of a major makeover to the Los Angeles Marathon route , two new half marathons for Los Angeles were announced today by separate companies. Come this January, the 13.1 Los Angeles Marathon will run through the Westside and next October, the popular Rock n' Roll Marathon will make a debut in Los Angeles, replacing the City of Angels Half Marathon.

I’ve been following Marked5 (one of the children of the post-Kogi mobile foodscape boom) on Twitter for a few months. Doing so kept reminding me, in 140 character bursts, that their Japanese burgers were roaming the city, awaiting taste buds.

Good Luck Bar celebrates its 15th anniversary tonight with a special event that features Chinese burlesque (10 pm, 11 pm and midnight), DJ Travis Keller and the Kogi Truck in attendance. Drink specials include: $5 Stolis, Sailor Jerry, Cazadores or Jack Daniel's cocktails; selected beers for $2. The party’s on from 7 pm to close.

Tonight the Swell Season, an indie folk duo formed by Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer and pianist Markéta Irglová, will be closing out a two-night stint at the Wiltern with Idaho's own pop folk singer-songwriter Josh Ritter in tow. Austin-based electro-pop duo Ghostland Observatory (LAist Review, #2) are poised to headline the Keyclub. And, lastly, local electronic mastermind Daedelus will be performing at the Silent Movie Theatre. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Troubadour to catch Athens' own garage rock revivalists the Whigs. LAist favorites, Portland-based indie rockers the Dead Trees are slated to kick things off.

      

The Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1956-1968 makes its West Coast debut today at the Skirball Center. It features more than 160 images that were taken by professional and amateur photographers and social activists to chronicle the injustice in America and helped build the momentum for the civil rights movement.

       

Something extraordinary is happening in the basement of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. It's hilarious, it's mindblowing... wait scratch that... it's a delirious and appetizing mind fuck.

It was just a few months ago when 6-year old Pablo Castelaz lost his battle with cancer, after treatment at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. 13 months before that, he was diagnosed, almost seemingly out of nowhere showing no warning signs prior, with bilateral Wilms’ Tumor, a rare form of children’s cancer.

       

As noted over the weekend, MOCA is offering free admission at their two downtown locations through Friday. The museum is celebrating thirty years by displaying their permanent collection through May 3rd.

13 days ago we wrote about the Parents Television Council boycott of The CW because of advertising for "Gossip Girl" and at Monday's launch party for Mark Liddell's "Exposed: 10 Years in Hollywood" we grabbed the opportunity to ask "Gossip Girl"'s Kelly Rutherford (aka Lily van der Woodsen) about the boycott - please watch the above video for her thoughts. [Also, what a thrill to talk to Megan from the original "Melrose Place"!]

A fun bit of trivia for film snobs & martial arts fans: Jackie Chan's Supercop was originally released on laserdisc by the prestigious Criterion Collection. The Nuart pays tribute to this cinematic masterwork with a midnight screening on Friday. The New Beverly features fellow Criterion alum, Krysztof Kieslowski, with two out of Three Colors, and the Aero has yet another with a Citizen Kane replay. For Overlooked Auteurs, visit the Cinefamily for a deadly double featuring director Ted Kotcheff (who? Mr. Rambo: First Blood & Weekend At Bernie's, that's who!).

Santa Ana's Bowers Museum of Cultural Art hosts LATITUDES: Latin American Artists from the Femsa Collection, an art exhibit, through January 17th. Featuring a variety of works by Latin American heavyweights such as Diego Rivera, Wilfredo Lam and Frida Kahlo, the exhibit includes pieces representative of surrealism and abstraction, as well as portraits, murals and landscapes.

Tonight the Swell Season, an indie folk duo formed by Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer and pianist Markéta Irglová, will be gracing the Wiltern with Idaho's own pop folk singer-songwriter Josh Ritter in tow. New Orleans-bred indie pop act the Generationals are poised to perform at Spaceland, warming up the stage for Canadian indie pop outfit the Hidden Cameras and Guelph-based indie rock singer-songwriter Gentleman Reg. Local indie rockers Radars to the Sky will be ringing in their latest disc at the Echo with none other than Le Switch. But we strongly suggest heading over to the El Rey Theatre to catch London-based electro-infused rock duo the Big Pink. Long Beach natives Crystal Antlers (LAist Review) and LA-bred goth/dance-infused rock duo IO Echo are slated to kick things off.

       

We've shown you two secret street art spots (here and here) around the Los Angeles area in the past couple weeks, but today we present you with a place you can actually go and see yourself. It's one of those in-your-face spots that you can easily miss, but Sunset Junction can be a treasure trove. Two parcels south of El Pollo Loco on Sunset at Sanborn is an empty lot.

Here's what happens when The Bearded Guy From The Hangover sits down with The Tall Guy From The Tonight Show and That Pumpkinhead Guy From The Tonight Show.

Dear ladies of Los Angeles: if you're 35+ and are considered "hot stuff", prove it by auditioning for TV Land's "She's Got The Look" on December 6th. Check out the details and let us know if you made the cut.

Norway's dance club mastermind Annie emerged on the music scene in 1999, with a Madonna-sampling bit of pop brilliance called "Greatest Hit" that created considerable underground buzz, which she capitalized on by spending... the next 5 years... recording her debut album. Despite the ominous overtones that usually accompany such obsessive tinkering, that record, , was brilliant from start to finish, chock full of songs spanning various dance styles that felt shockingly new and warmly nostalgic at the same time. It earned her the slavish devotion of fans of perfectly crafted pop dance music, widespread critical acclaim, and several minor hits including the bittersweet "Heartbeat", and her amazing ass-shaking ode to the playgirl lifestyle, "Chewing Gum".

              

On many Tuesdays, the pickings are slim among the new crop of DVDs. And then there are days like today where the bounty is almost too rich. Where better to start than with JJ Abrams' re-start of the Star Trek franchise. Did anyone not like this movie? You know, except for those people who automatically don't like things because they're popular. In other news, there may not have been a funnier movie this year than Humpday. There definitely wasn't a funnier scene than the dinner table revelation between Josh Leonard and Alycia Delmore. Is the number one rule about the Fight Club Blu-Ray DVD that we don't talk about it? That wouldn't make sense. Sure, Bruno wasn't as funny as Borat but the swinging dick scene was priceless.

Mark Liddell is the photographer of choice when an actor or celebrity needs to create an iconic image of themselves. From supermodels like Naomi Campbell to rockers like Avril Lavigne to socialites like Paris Hilton, among their most compelling photos were shot by Liddell. Many photographs of these celebrities were done in the name of advancing charity work and now Liddell has released his first book of photographs, Exposed: 10 Years in Hollywood, to benefit The Trevor Project (suicide prevention for teens), which he chose in memory of his best friend’s suicide, and The Jenesse Center for the prevention of domestic violence. The book is available at Channel Photographics and can be pre-ordered at Amazon.

Celebrated jazz bassist Charlie Haden returns to his bluegrass/country roots with his family and friends tonight at Walt Disney Concert Hall tonight at 8 pm. Joining him on stage are his daughters, the Haden triplets (Tanya, Rachel and Petra), son Josh Haden, wife Ruth Cameron, son-in-law Jack Black, and bluegrass greats including Jerry Douglas, dobro. There’s a 25% discount on tickets in the terrace and balcony sections. Use the code HADEN.  

              

Last Tuesday, LA-Underground co-presented a show with KCRW at the Bootleg Theater, featuring Kentucky-based Daniel Martin Moore as well as beloved locals Eleni Mandell, Inara George (The Bird and the Bee), and Ferraby Lionheart.

Tonight LA-based rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures, which is comprised of Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, John Paul Jones and Alain Johannes, will be headlining the Wiltern. Québécois garage rock duo King Khan and BBQ Show are poised to grace the Troubadour with none other than Tennessee-based country/rockabilly trio Those Darlins (Esh CANCELED!) And, lastly, Olympia-bred lo-fi pop outfit LAKE will be taking on the Smell in Downtown. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Bootleg Theater to catch Portland-based experimental folk rock quintet Loch Lomond. LAist favorites, fellow Oregonians Horse Feathers are slated to perform as well.

       

After showing you some amazing street art at a secret location last week, we became savvy to another excellent location. Of course, the deal is that we can't share where, but we hope you can enjoy this as is. Featured here is local artist Vyal, Know Hope of Tel-Aviv and Tony Bones of Texas.

Weekend Notes: January Jones was host of "Saturday Night Live" and if Taylor Swift "nailed" her hosting duties a week ago then Jones did at least as good of a job. The key difference was the writing and the writing was definitely better for the November 7th show. Could it have been a better show? Yes, but not from anything January Jones could have done. It was so painfully obvious that the show had no idea what to do with her - most of her sketches were variations on her "Mad Men" role and most weren't very good. After an hour and a half, we still don't know if Jones is a good comedic actress, c'mon "SNL".

Kellan Lutz plays Emmett Cullen in the Twilight saga: Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse, and was also in HBO's Emmy-winning series "Generation Kill" with fellow vampire genre god, Alexander Skarsgård aka Eric Northman of "True Blood". We talked with Lutz about his experience with Skarsgård, details on the New Moon sequel, Eclipse, as well as his aspirations for the future.

SWAP SHOP* The LA Vintage Swap Party takes place tonight from 7-9 pm at What Goes Around Comes Around (at Space15Twenty). Co-hosts Alexi Wasser of imboycrazy.com, stylist Monica Rose and Geri Hirsch, Founder of BecauseImAddicted.net help guests swap vintage fashion with fresh designs from the best closets in the city. Bring 1-4 quality vintage items and get treated to music by DJ Magdalena and complimentary drinks by Tito’s Vodka and KARMA California Brut. RSVP to: ghwang@thinkpublicrelations.com (Bonus: Umami Burger just opened in Space15Twenty, too!)

Tonight LA-based rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures, which is comprised of Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, John Paul Jones and Alain Johannes, will be performing last minute at the Roxy. Local folk-infused pop outfit Mississippi Man are poised to continue their residency at the Silver Lake Lounge with the Color Turning in tow. And, lastly, Bogotá-based experimental electro quintet Bomba Estéreo will be performing in-store at Amoeba Music in Hollyweird. But we strongly suggest heading over to Spaceland to catch local indie rockers the Happy Hollows (LAist Review, #2, #3). LAist favorites, Brooklyn-bred surf-infused post-punk act the Drums and Parson Red Heads front man Evan Way are slated to kick things off.

Taking place this Friday at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre is Laughs for Bald Bryan, a night of top-notch comedy and some pretty great music. The special night is to benefit “Bald Bryan” Bishop, Adam Carolla’s former morning radio compliment, who, at 31, is battling an inoperable brain tumor.

       

In a surprisingly robust debut, 2012 took in a huge $65M to easily capture the weekend box-office crown. Despite completely sucking, the latest Roland Emmerich disaster pic easily out-distanced last week's champ, Disney's A Christmas Carol which managed to bring in a decent $22.3M in its second frame ($63.2M). Grant Heslov's hilarious The Men Who Stare at Goats grabbed third place ($6.2M | $23.3M), just ahead of indie powerhouse Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire ($6M | $8.9M). The creepy and morbid Michael Jackson's That Was It rounded out the top 5 ($5.1M | $68.2M).

Jesse Thorn has a wonderful nationally syndicated public radio show called The Sound of Young America. Unfortunately it's not on local public radio, but the weekly program is available via podcast. Current thought a television version of the interview program would be a great idea, but they ended up changing formats, and the show was never green-lit. This pilot was shot in Koreatown, which was where TSOYA used to be recorded. The radio show's studio, Thorn's domicile, is now Silverlake.

This is the first video from Matmos' new album, and you can catch them this Saturday at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. You knew it would happen. After countless collaborations and performances with the LA Phil, John Adams has signed on as the orchestra's creative chair and is in charge of the first festival under Dudamel: West Coast, Left Coast...

This week Maine-bred folk singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne will be taking on a three-night stint at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown with LAist favorite, Illinois-based alternative country singer-songwriter Lissie. The Swell Season, an indie folk duo formed by Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer and pianist Markéta Irglová, are poised to grace the Wiltern with Idaho's own pop folk singer-songwriter Josh Ritter in tow. St. Albans-based dance pop outfit Friendly Fires (LAist Review) will be headlining the Henry Fonda Music Box with none other than acclaimed British indie rock outfit the XX. And, lastly, London-based electro-infused rock duo the Big Pink will be performing at the El Rey Theatre with Long Beach natives Crystal Antlers (LAist Review) and LA-bred goth/dance-infused rock duo IO Echo.

       

Up in the Air is a comedy-drama directed by Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking and Juno.) It is an adaptation of the 2001 novel of the same name, written by Walter Kirn. According to Reitman, “The movie is about the examination of a philosophy -- what if you decided to live hub to hub, with nothing, with nobody?” Well, what if the “you” was George Clooney? In that case, you would be dressed as dapper as could be, wantonly leaving women in your wake as you fly on to your next destination.

Tonight Florida-bred singer-songwriter Chris Carraba, or rather Dashboard Confessional, will be headlining the Hollywood Palladium with Floridian pop punk quintet New Found Glory (CANCELLED!). Celebrated Boston-based post-punk outfit Mission of Burma are poised to take on the Echo with none other than hometown heroes the Henry Clay People (Review, #2, #3, #4)...

Fans of Where the Wild Things Are and Spike Jonze will want to head to FAMILY at 5 this evening as the famed director signs copies of his book Heads On & We Shoot: The Making Of Where The Wild Things Are. About the book, via FAMILY's website: "The book design is heavily image-based, a mix of early sketches, storyboards, character designs, and extensive behind-the-scenes photographs that show both incredible live-action puppetry and computer animation. The text includes forewords by Jonze and Eggers, interviews with the cast and crew, stories from on and off the set, and early drafts of the screenplay."

Holly Mosher is an award-winning filmmaker dedicated to bringing socially conscious films to the public. Her latest documentary, Bonsai: Celebrating the Work of Muhammad Yunus, focuses on the work of Nobel Prize winner Yunus and his microcredit organization Grameen Bank. Mosher will appear Saturday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. in Santa Monica as part of Empowerment Works’ Artist in Action Series. The event will offer a sneak preview of Bonsai to raise completion funds for the film and begin outreach programs for microcredit and social business. LAist spoke to the Venice-based Mosher about her inspiring documentary and applying sustainability to capitalism.

"Do They Know It's Christmas?" as crooned by the Comedy Death-Ray Xmas Nativity Choir a.k.a some of LA's best comedians a.ka. Paul F. Tompkins, R.O. Manse, Tig Notaro, Rob Huebel, Patton Oswalt, Mike Phirman, Jimmy Pardo, Brian Posehn & Scott Aukerman, Garfunkel & Oates, Aimee Mann, Chris Hardwick, Paul Scheer & June Diane Raphael, Doug Benson, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Nick Thune, "Weird Al" Yankovic...

MOCA--the Museum of Contemporary Art--opened 30 years ago in Los Angeles. To celebrate the anniversary, the museum opens its largest installation tomorrow, featuring more than 500 works from more than 200 artists from its own permanent collection.

                            

Last weekend Rachel Rosenthal celebrated her birthday with a wild and wacky shindig at Track 16. Dramatic and funny performances paid tribute to the popular artist and teacher, delicious Cake Diva cupcakes were passed by a sexy Marie Antoinette and an eccentric array of guests laughed as they drank little pink bottles of Bitch Bubbly.

                     

We hope you came out and enjoyed the I Hate Everyone But You opening reception last night at De La Barracuda. Matt Goldman, aka MFG, and Tim Biskup were in good form, welcoming guests and discussing their old and new work. If you weren't able to make it last night, not to worry! The show will be up through the end of next month, with tons of goodies of various price ranges to buy before the holidays are officially here.

       

After a summer of memorable shows at the Hollywood Bowl, the 2009 posters will be exhibited at the Arclight along with many images created for bowl performances throughout the years. No one will forget Grace Jones master class in theatricality and the night that Jenny Lewis and Ray Lamontagne shared their unique authenticity with the Bowl audience. These shows and more hold a special spot in our hearts and now can take their place on our walls.

Launch a preemptive strike on Black Friday by jumpstarting your holiday shopping in South Pasadena this weekend. Merchants on Mission Street from Fair Oaks Pharmacy to City Hall will hold open houses, offer discounts and give out goody bags (woot!) during this pre-holiday block party. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Weekend Edition Programming of note this weekend: "Saturday Night Live" has an odd choice for host this week: January Jones, aka Betty Draper from AMC's "Mad Men". She has a part in the obnoxiously overpromoted comedy Pirate Radio but does that make her funny? We're going to watch to find out if this turns out to be a brilliant gamble. Musical guest is the eager-to-participate-in-any-sponsorship-opportunity aka "whores", the Black Eyed Peas.

       

Some critics have derided Wes Anderson as a victim of his own precious taste. His movies take place in "Andersonville" it's said -- a singular, specific world from which he needs to free himself. To that I say, "Pah!". Anderson's latest film, Fantastic Mr. Fox, takes place in the stop-motion animated version of Andersonville and it's, well, fantastic. I can't recommend it highly enough. I can't say the same for 2012. I mean, honestly, how is it really different from The Day After Tomorrow? Sure Richard Curtis is a bit schmaltzy, but I always give extra-credit to the open-hearted. Plus, Pirate Radio has Philip Seymour Hoffman in it so it's worth seeing.

The Santa Monica Museum of Art hosts artist Allen Ruppersberg and poet Bill Berkson in a conversation about art and literature. Ruppersberg will discuss his book project, The New Five Foot Shelf, while Berkson recites poetry, plays music and screens a new film assembled from 1940s and '50s family movies. The first 20 guests will receive a free copy of Ruppersberg's book, which is not available for purchase. Admission is free, but seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. 7 pm.

Tonight, as always, local multi-instrumentalist/producer extraordinaire Jon Brion (LAist Interview, #2, Review) will be jamming with friends at the Largo at the Coronet. The Strokes' vocalist and chief songwriter Julian Casablancas (LAist Interview) will be continuing his month-long residency at the Palace Theatre in Downtown. And, lastly, SIGNALS, the phoenix to rise from the ashes of the Mae Shi (LAist Interview, Review, #2), will be gracing the Smell in Downtown as well with British fuzz-infused punk outfit LOVVERS. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Henry Fonda Music Box to catch Danish rock duo the Raveonettes. LAist favorites San Diegan garage rockers Crocodiles (LAist Interview) are slated to kick things off.

              

Tattoo artist Jeremy Swan got off to a busy start when the clock struck twelve this morning. Vying to break the Guinness World Record for "most tattoos done in 24 hours," his Silver Lake parlor, Broken Art Tattoo, was slammed with people of all ages ready to be inked. By 6 a.m., it was Swan's goal to have completed nearly 350 tats (Note: this post was written prior to 6 a.m.), which would put him on a pace to easily topple the current record, held at 802 tattoos.

The TV world is abuzz with Lou Dobbs' abrupt resignation on his broadcast last night after nearly 30 years at CNN. Everyone is asking "why" this was happening but Dobbs' political bent has been more than slightly apparent for the last several years. We wonder on what basis Dobbs could say CNN has stifled his opinion as it would appear that he has had free reign during his tenure. We also wonder if this move isn't related to his house getting hit by a bullet late last month as his wife and a Dobbs employee stood outside. It would be a shame for him to have left over personal safety issues.

Tonight's the second Thursday of the month, meaning that it's time for the Downtown Art Walk in LA's Historic Core. Dozens of galleries and arts venues participate into the wee hours of the evening, but there's much more than art happening, tonight. Two salons are being held at Clifton's from 5:30-7:30 pm: One on writer John Fante hosted by biographer Stephen Cooper; the second is on LAvender Los Angeles, a look at the emergence of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community in Los Angeles, starting in 1950. Over at HABEAS LOUNGE, a salon will dive into local bicycle and public transit issues.

Guys, Tim Robbins seriously needs your help; he's in trouble. Well, more accurately, his passionate outlet, The Actors' Gang, is in trouble. You see, the Gang spends so much time and money helping out everyone from schoolchildren to their Culver City community at large and in rehabilitating convicted felons, things are getting tight...

To celebrate the book launch of Pam Russell's new collection B is for Bad Poetry, the Better Off Dead Poets Society and ForYourArt presents an open mic at the Mandrake for people to share their bad poems. The evening’s hosted by Russell, and everyone’s welcome to bring your crappy blank verse and doggerel to foist on unsuspecting bar patrons. 8 pm.

Tonight legendary San Franciscan rock act Huey Lewis and the News will be headlining Club Nokia in Downtown. Portugal-bred experimental electronic quartet Buraka Som Sistema are poised to take on the Mayan Theatre in Downtown as well. And, lastly, Bristol-based experimental drone-infused duo Fuck Buttons will be headlining the Echo. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Bootleg Theater to catch local lo-fi pop trio Pearl Harbor.

  

Driving "over the hill" from the Valley to Hollywood is routine for many, though, the serpentine turns and the tree canopy above make the canyon routes a nice break from the usual traffic blight of the freeways. Along one of those routes is an unusual spot for street art, but for more than a year, one street artist has unofficially claimed the spot as his, adding even more for commuters to gawk at.

Some of us were worried that Julian Casablancas had pulled a Dave Chappelle and disappeared from rock 'n' roll forever. The lead singer of The Strokes, a band who defined underground New York cool for half a decade, vanished from the spotlight after the band's third album. Although never officially disbanded, other Strokes band members began releasing their own solo projects and most of us thought it was all over. (For the record: apparently it's not. Apparently the Strokes are still just on hiatus.) Now out of nowhere, after three years of mysterious absence, a newly sober Julian Casablancas has emerged in LA of all places with a brand new solo record, Phrazes for the Young. And get this, it's upbeat.

Henry Rollins once reminded us about John Fogerty, “The man was born in Berkeley, California - there’s not a bayou within two thousand miles!” But despite a lack of physical proximity, Fogerty absorbed a feel for the American heartland through records, and the songs he wrote at the end of the sixties have only added to its mythology. Creedence Clearwater Revival was one of the most stubbornly tradition-minded of Bay Area bands during the psychedelic era, gleefully hooting about listening to Buck Owens when stating such a preference was an unnerving freak-flag to the other freaks. With songs like “Out My Back Door” and “Lodi”, they pretty much invented country-rock as it would come to be known a few years later. But CCR was also in on the revolution, and no one who’s heard “Fortunate Son” or “Run Through The Jungle” could mistake them for reactionaries. The body of work they produced in just six years together is among the most revered and influential in American music, a touchstone that Toby Keith and the Minutemen can both raise a glass to.

Did any of you tune in to the 2nd episode of "V" last night? We ask because viewership dropped by about 30% from the previous week. Don't get us wrong, we like the series but the drop in ratings made us think a bit more about the program. First of all, they're not really breaking any new ground here and that's fine since the majority of the targeted demographic don't remember the original series at all but we thought there would be more updating to the story other than contemporary babes, hunks, and computer graphics. We'll stay tuned for more but after this we wonder about the remake of the classic and dear-to-our-hearts "The Prisoner", which premieres this Sunday on AMC.

How do you make alt-porn even alt-ier? The Echo Park Film Center knows, with Honey Bunny v2, a video-remix of 2008's Honey Bunny. Re-imagineer Margie Schnibbe is on hand for every moan & groan, and for all the would-be Jeremih's out there, it's her birthday. If you prefer your alt-film on the straight and narrow, EPFC also hosts Los Angeles As A Character, a series of experimental shorts that slice & dice our city into delectable bites: some friendly, some alienated, others just plain confused. To take it WAY back, EPFC teams up with Los Angeles Filmforum for D.W. Griffith in California, a program of ultra-rare reels from film pioneer D.W. Griffith, produced locally before he went off & produced the ultra-popular (and ultra-racist) Birth of a Nation. No stranger to controversy, Griffith takes on evolution & the decimation of Native American populations in these shorts, as well as showcase early cinematic techniques & melodrama.

Marc Anthony the rightful heir to Hector Lavoe's throne takes the stage at the Gibson Amphitheater tonight at 8:15 PM. One of the most talented Latin music singers of the last 20 years, his salsa career started with a bang in 1993 with his now classic remake of the Juan Gabriel hit Hasta que te conoci. Since then, he has amassed a long string of salsa hits including Te Conozco Bien, Nadie Como Ella and Celos amongst others. If you are salsa/Latin music fan, you can't miss this show.

Tonight Long Island-bred post-hardcore act Glassjaw will be headlining the Mayan Theater in Downtown with none other than Seal Beach-based quartet RX Bandits (LAist Review). Georgia-bred singer-songwriter/producer Butch Walker is poised to grace the Hotel Café. And, lastly, NY-based producer Blockhead, whose work is most closely associated with hip hop heavyweights Aesop Rock, Murs and Slug, will be taking on the Echo. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Smell in Downtown to catch local noise-infused rock outfit HEALTH.

Local techno trio, Droog, has had their share of crazy parties atop the Downtown Standard Hotel's legendary roof. Earlier this year, UK record label Crosstown Rebels' web series, Rebel Rave, dropped in to one of them and chatted with the dudes about nightlife and their new record label: Culprit.

The illustrious downtown theater in the basement of Frank Gehry's iconic Disney Hall, REDCAT is bringing a dance classic onto its stage this week. But NOT ballet, to be sure! This week, the now near ninety year old pioneer Anna Halprin is presenting her 1965 masterpiece parades & changes, replays with an international cast of highly regarded performers and including the work's composer, the legendary electronic music trailblazer, Morton Subotnick.

Today’s subject are Brits-turned-Angelenos Rowly Dennis and Alex Pucell, founders of Los Angeles’ travelling art/furniture gallery event concept, Antfarm Social. A painter/actor and furniture designer respectively by trade, Antfarm Social is looking at the LA social scene as a canvas and using fresh takes on step-and-repeats, glassware, social scene and unique venues to get people enjoying and even buying modern conceptual art and furniture.

When the Eastside Extension of Metro's Gold Line opens this Sunday, it will be a lot more than just free rides. Four events are planned at or near stations along the line, featuring food and music.

Tonight brings the return of "V" and we'll be on it this time since the episodes don't appear on Hulu until Saturday. "Sons of Anarchy" will have be a 1.5 hour special and series guest star Adam Arkin will be on "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson". At the end of our post check out the in-production "Pacific" promo from HBO featuring the commentary of Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.

       

I'm still not sure why Watchmen was pilloried by so many. Considering how many adaptations are butchered by filmmakers, it was refreshing to see how closely Zack Snyder adhered to the source material by Alan Moore (except for, of course, the ending). Sure it may have been a little obtuse for people unfamiliar with the graphic novel, but so what, right? Anyway, today's DVD release is a treasure trove for Watchmen fans. For less than $30 you get the integration of The Black Freighter into Snyder's director's cut as well as:

Tonight at 7:30 pm Writers Bloc presents British mystery novelist Dame Ruth Rendell (who also writes as Barbara Vine) in conversation with April Smith, creator of the Ana Gray series. Rendell will talk about her latest book The Monster In The Box. The event will be held at the MGM Building in the ICM Theater. Park in the Westfield shopping center directly across the street. Tickets: $20. For reservations, visit writersblocpresents.com

           

The community showed its support (and its money) for local artists at Sunday's Monster Drawing Rally at the Center for the Arts in Eagle Rock. About 500 people attended the non-profit Outpost for Contemporary Arts' event, which raised $12,000 and sold 100 paintings.

Tonight Utah-based alternative rock outfit the Used will be headlining the Wiltern with Florida-bred Underoath side project the Almost. The Bird and the Bee front woman Inara George is poised to take on the Bootleg Theater. And, lastly, Nickel Creek fiddler Sara Watkins (LAist Interview) will be gracing Largo at the Coronet. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Echoplex to catch Brooklyn-based indie rocker Bishop Allen. Seattle-based indie pop act Throw Me The Statue are slated to perform as well.

       

Somewhere in Los Angeles is wall that attracts some of the big names of the street art world. Not many know about it and those within street art circles keep it close to heart. There's a good reason for that--some like to take the street from the art for personal home decoration. So when an anonymous tipster made LAist savvy of this spot, it was under the condition that we not publish the location. "Just share the visuals," they wrote.

Yet another week has come and gone. Luckily, this week offers an amazing array of comedy the likes of which we haven't seen in quite a while. Patton Oswalt is at Largo, the Comedy Store hosts Bootyoke, the best karaoke thigh-showing dance party jam in the game. There's also sketch comedy galore and enough other stand ups to keep you laughing. Seriously, go check out some comedy. You could use it. You don't look so good. But if you want to hype a show or find out some super secret show stuffs, email Farley here. That's a good look for anyone.

Back in 2007, L.A. Ink's Kat Von D broke the world record for "most tattoos done in 24 hours." That record was soon shattered within six months in Texas and then again in Arizona. Now, the next attempt to break it will be back here locally this Friday, beginning at midnight.

As we know, last night had the excellent season finale of "Bored to Death" which we gave you a sneak peek of but it also had the finale of the multi-Emmy winning "Mad Men" on AMC. "Mad Men" generally had a great season with only a couple sleepy episodes but the finale was incredible. Maybe Don is finally free of Betty but the plight of the kids had our female viewing party members crying with most feeling that Don was much better off without "that crazy Betty". What will keep us pining for the next season is the momentum that was built up with what was ostensibly the launch of a start-up '60s-style. Summer of 2010 can't come too soon.

Talk about wasting no time. Organizers for the Sunset Strip Music Festival have already determined the dates for its third year. It will run from Thursday, August 12th through the 14th, with a Sunset Strip street closure on the last day. “The first-ever street festival brought a renewed energy to The Sunset Strip, and we received a tremendous amount of positive response from the press, attendees, artists and city officials following the event,” said festival Executive Director Todd Steadman in a statement. “We are excited to solidify a date for 2010, and we are thrilled to build on the success of the event for next year.”

SCI-Arc is conducting a series of Monday discussions throughout November with new media artists in conjuction with the current exhibition Blow x Blow. Hosted by Joe Day, principal of deegan day design, the talks explore current practice and the challenges of new media installation. The series begins tonight at 7:30 pm with a discussion between artist/architect An Te Liu and ForYourArt founder Bettina Korek.

Tonight London-based electronic singer-songwriter Imogen Heap will be performing to a sold-out crowd at Henry Fonda Music Box. Local indie rockers the Happy Hollows (LAist Review, #2, #3) are continuing their month-long residency at Spaceland. And, lastly, LA-based lo-fi pop act Best Coast will be gracing the Smell in Downtown. But we strongly suggest heading to Club Nokia to catch South Carolina-by-way-of-Seattle folk rockers Band of Horses. LAist favorites Warpaint (LAist Review, #2, #3) are slated to kick things off.

              

Earlier this morning, we showed you the video of The L.A. Wall being torn down. Now, here are photos of the art before it was destroyed in celebration of the Berlin Wall's falling 20 years ago.

       

While Disney's A Christmas Carol won the weekend with an underwhelming $31M, the real story at the box-office was Precious. The darling of this year's Sundance Film Festival earned an astonishing $100,000 per theater, breaking the record for the largest opening EVER for a specialty film (A Christmas Carol, by contrast, earned a little over $8400 per venue). Michael Jackson's This Is It had a solid second weekend ($14M | $57.8M), just topping the fantastic The Men Who Stare at Goats ($13.3M) and the weird and phony The Fourth Kind ($12.5M). Not surprisingly, Paranormal Activity continued to print money ($8.6M | $97.4M).

       

A full month of calavera painting, banner cutting, tissue flower making and other crafting at Self Help Graphics culminated in their annual El Dia de Los Muertos celebration last Monday. The community arts center and printmaking studio has a long history of celebrating the Mexican holiday for honoring the dead, reaching back thirty-six years to its first Day of the Dead celebration, involving just two artists who met at Evergreen Cemetery to remember their ancestors. In the years that have followed, the annual festival has grown and grown in size and popularity, with this year’s festivities moving from the Self Help Graphics to the East LA Civic Center.

"Dying is easy; comedy is hard." It's a tired saying, but it's true. It’s hard to think of more than three artists whose comedy albums have been memorable - Steve Martin, Cheech & Chong, and Monty Python. Comedy albums are hard.

The LACC is seen here performing Paul Gibson's "Dona nobis pacem". The Los Angeles Children's Chorus performs this Saturday at 2 PM at the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica. The West Coast/Left Coast Festival is a collaboration with the LA Phil and composer John Adams highlighting the works of several Californian composers. If you're looking for "old world" music, they will also perform Carillo's Ave Maria and the Spanish carol Riu, riu, chiu to highlight the rich cultural and ethnic diversity in Los Angeles. Tickets are 32 dollars and half price for children. Piano Spheres hosts guest artist Eric Huebner in several West Coast premieres of works by Reynolds and Rothman. If you're looking for something more traditional, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Opera will perform La Traviata at the Pacific Palisades Methodist Church. There are performances on the 13th and the 15th, and you can get tickets here.

The Berlin wall was toppled on November 9th, 1989. To commemorate this landmark event, the Wall Project has had several segments of the wall erected on Wilshire Boulevard across the street from LACMA, and local artists, like renowned muralist Kent Twitchell, have contributed art to the panels. Today panels will be erected enough to fully block Wilshire, there will be an evening of activities and entertainment, and at midnight the wall will be toppled, marking the anniversary, which will be broadcast live on German television.

              

On tour to pre-promote their December 1st release of Stir the Blood, NYC's The Bravery took to a packed house at the Wiltern Thursday night. Once the band took the stage, it was clear from the feverish enthusiasm of the The Bravery fans that there was no other place to be, despite the fact that the concert calendar for November 5th also featured Pixies, Dinosaur Jr, Neon Indian, and Avi Buffalo within a 10 mile radius. Music junkies had to make real choices that night, and The Bravery offered a strong stage presence, excellent showmanship, and catchy dance-rock tunes.

              

The Pixies kicked off a three night stand at the Palladium Thursday night with an exhilarating run-through of their classic “Doolittle”, its assorted B-sides, and a smattering of earlier faves. These days they’re riding a wave of nostalgia, rather than a wave of mutilation, but as reunions go, this is one of the more gratifying ones.

Rachel Rosenthal will be celebrating her 83rd birthday tonight at the Track 16 Gallery in Santa Monica. An artist, teacher, animal rights activist and living legend, Rosenthal has been creating art for over 50 years. Rosenthal "developed a revolutionary performance technique that integrates text, movement, voice, choreography, improvisation, inventive costuming, dramatic lighting and wildly imaginative sets into an unforgettable “total theater” experience." Rosenthal was a pioneer at the forefront of performance art. LAist caught up with her yesterday for a few quick questions.